Convertible chair.



A. G. SHAW. CONVERTIBLE GHAIR. APPLICATION 11.21) 123.1, 1900.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

8 BHEBT8-SHBBT 1.

772' 7: eases,

A. G. SHAW.

GONVEBTIBLB CHAIR.

APPLIOATKOF FILED APR. 1. 1909.

954,594. Patentad Apr. 12, 1910.

'U NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALVONI G. SHAW, OF HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONVERTIBLE CHAIR.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALvoNI G. SHAW. a citizen of the United States, residing at Harrisburg, in the county of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Convertible Chairs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a. full, clear, and exact de scription of the invention, such will en able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use. the same.

This invention reiates to convertible chairs. and more particularly to Morris chairs in which the back can be letdown to the level of the seat portion in order to permit the use of the chair as a bed.

The object of the invention is to provide a chair of this kind in which the seat and back are extensible laterally in an improved manner so that when the chair is used as a bed, the latter will have the requisite width.

The invention also aims to provide improved means for positioning the parts with reference to each other and properly supporting them when. the device is used as a bed.

The novel features of the invention will appear from the following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a chair constructed in :n'eordanee with the invention, the cushions being removed. Fig. 2 is a. diagrammatic front elevation of the seat portion of the chair showing how the latter extended Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 1, 1909.

laterally and also illustrating the arrangement of the cushions. Fig. 25 is a top plan view, partly in section, showing the chair extended and ready for use as a bed, and Fig. +1 is a side elevation of the device when l arranged shown in Fig.

The improved chair comprises a seat portion A and a back I) hinged thereto and ad jnstably supported by means of a back rod (1, as is usual in Morris chairs. Both the seat portion and the back are laterally extensible, so that when the back is let down and supported on a level with the seat portion. the chair can be extended laterally as a whole in order to form a bed of the requisite width.

The seat portion A is formed of a main frame 5 and an extensible frame 6, the main frame 5 carrying the arm 7 and the extensible frame 6 carrying the other arm 8.

Patented Apr. 112, 1910.

Serial No. 487,155.

The main frame 5 embodies side pieces 9, 9 a. front piece 10 and a hack piece 11, upon which latter the hinges 12 of the back B are secured as best shown in Fig. 3. The side piece 9* is supported at its front and rear ends by legs 9*, 9 respectively, while the side piece 9, together with the front piece 10, is supported by the leg 15". 1xtending between side pieces 9, t) are transverse slats 13.

The extensible frame ti embodies a side piece 11 supptfirted by means of a front leg 15 and a rear leg to and placed alongside the side piece 9 of the main frame as shown in Fig. 1, the said side piece 14 having fixed to it a series of transverse slats 17 which pass through openings 18 in the side piece 9 and between the slats 13 of the main frame. The extensible frame 6 is provided at the front of the chair with a front piece 19, which is carried by the leg 15 and extends over the front member 10 of the main frame; and the front piece 19 carries an inwardly projet-ting bolt 21) at the end opposite the 15 which bolt travels in a longitudinal slot 21 in the member 10 and is adapted to be clamped in position in said slot by a nut 22, as illustrated in. Fig. 3.

The back Ii, which is hinged to the rear member 11 of the main seat frame. comprises side members 23. 223 and end members 24. one of which has fastened to it the hinges [2. The side members 233. 23* are connected by means: of slats Coacting with the main frame of the back is an extensible frame 26 comprising a lnember 27 adapted to be placed alongside the side member 2 and carrying transverse slats which move through holes 23 formed in the aforesaid member 23*. the slats :38 being movable into place alongside the fixed slats 25, as shown in Fig. 1.

At the top of the back the same carries folding le s 29, and 31. as shown in Fig. 3. the legs 29 and 30 being carried by the side members and 23 IQSPOCllVtlY of the main bat-h frame. while the leg -11 is applied to the side member 27 of the extensible frame. These folding legs are braced by folding braces :32 connecting them with the respective side members. as shown in Figs. 3 and 1.

Fig. 1 illustrates the device when used as an ordinary hIorris chair. The frames of the seat portion and back are telescoped Jill with each other as far as possible so that the side members it and i of the seatportion and the side members 2? and 23" of the baek are in contact. as shown. The device therefore has the appearance of an ordinary Morris chair and when the cushions, are placed in the same. it is not apparent that the construction is different from that usually employed in chairs of this kind. The back is hold in the desired adjusted position by means of the ordinary back red C and the folding legs of the back are held up and alongside the respective side members by means of the braces ELZ which are folded as shown in full lines in Fig. l and in dotted lines in Fig. l. The transverse slats 1T, 28 respectively of the extensible seat and back frames rest at their free ends in this position of the parts. upon the rails 33. ill tosprctivel upon which the fixed slats 13. :25 respectively are secured at. one end. and the legs it" and t of the main seat frame are located alongside the legs to. to respectively shown in Figs. 1 and t.

'hen it is desired to use the chair as a bed. the back rod 0 is removed in order to lct the back down to the level of the seat i and the folding legs of the back are let down in order to support the back in this position. all by releasing the nut 22 on the bolt 2t) so that the extensible frame t3. provided with the arm 8 and legs to. it) can be slid away from the main frame a. as shown in l ig. ii. the main frame being ell'eetirely supported during this operation by its legs U it. When the extensible frame l) is pulled out as far as possible. which movement is limited by the bolt Qt) traveling in the slot Ll. the side piece Eb will be at substantially the center of the extended (hair frame and the legs 9-, i will therefore support the device along a line extending longitudinally and centrally thereof. The lJtlt'li 3 is next extended b pulling out the side frame in which carries the slats 2%. these latter mov ing frcel through their openings in the side piece 23 just as the lats 17 of the frame U are moved through the side member t When the frame it; is extended as fa as the frame t3. it will Come to rest. at its inner end in a notch 35 fornn-d in the. leg to. and in this way the frame '26 will be etlrctivel supported at its inner end. as shown in Fig. -l. It is also preferable to provide a locking bolt St? on the leg 16 so that when the frame it has reached its final position. it may be locked therein. as shown in Fig. t. in order to form a firm and rigid bed Hil'tltP ture. A similar bolt 3th is used at the opposite side of the device to look the main frames of the seat. and bael; togetl'ier, as shown in Fig.

It is obvious that the device can be ex- The seat is then extended later- I tended to differtmt degrees in order to be u ed in onnection with cushions or mattresses of dillrrenl widths. in Fig. the extensible side frames t8 and di' are onlv pulled out half way. l l hen the desired po sition is reached. the nut 22 may be turned in order to rlamp the parts in position if sneh is desired. although this is not always necessary. If this is done. the extensible frame t'i is looked in position and as the frame ill: is lorrltml to this last named frame. both of the extensible frames are ltlt'lfltl in position.

In case the devise is extended to twice its width whcn used as a chair, the cushion l shown in Fig. 2 may be used to constitute a part. of the mattre s. This cushion is formed of two sertions o'. if. sewed together along one edge in order to form a sort of hinged romieclion between the sections. When thiderive is used as a ehair these sertions are superpo ed. but when the devire is extended as horeinhei'ore desrribed. the top seetion (I of the cushion is thrown over into the position shown in dotted line in Fig. 2. in which position it completely fills the spare between the arms 7 and H. whirh in this (use Form the side members. of the bed. A. similar cushion not shown.) is used in (ronnection with the back of the chair. as will be understood.

\Vht-n the device is to be again used as a. rhair. the operations described are reversed.

Q the extensible sections of the seat. and back being pushed inward as far as possible. after \\'lli(ll the bark is raised and supported by the bark rod. the folding legs being: pulled up and held alongside the res wotive side members of the back frames.

hat l rlaim is:

l. [n a convertible chair, the combination of a main seat frame. a main bark frame hinged thereto. and extensible side frames movable laterally with respect to the said main frames and rarrying transv rse slats movable through side members of said main frames.

2. in a. ronvortible chair. a main seat frame having a. hingitudinally slotted front member. a. laterally extensible side frame roarting with the main frame. and a front; member rarried by the side frame and having a clamping bolt movable in the slot; of the front main frame member.

in a (amvertihie chair. a. main seat frame. a main back frame hinged thereto. an extensible frame movable laterallj with respect to the main seat frame. and an extensible frame enacting with the main back frame and which is supported. on the extensible scat fame when the back is let down.

4'. in a convertible chair, the combination of a main seat frame. a. main liiael; fran'le hinged thereto, an extensible frame movable laterally with respect to the main seat frame and having a notch, and an extensible and means to secure said extensible frames to each other when they are extended.

6. in a eonrertible chair, a main seat frame, a main back frame hinged thereto, extensible frames movable laterally from the main seat frame and the main baek frame respectively, and means at the meeting ends of said extensible frames to look them to gether when the back is lowered and said frames are extended- T. in a convertible chair, a main seat frame a main back frame hinged thereto, extensible frames movable laterally from the seat and back frames the extensible frame of the seat being arranged to support that of the baek when the baek is lowered and the extensible frames are extended, and means to lock the extensible frames to each other.

5. In a convertible chair, the combination of a main seat frame, a main back frame hinged thereto, a laterally extensible upright side frame eoacting with the main seat frame and provided at its rear with a notch, a laterally extensible frame (-oaeting with the main frame of the back and adapted to rest at its inner end in said noteh when the back is let down, and a bolt to lock the extensible frames together in the position indicated. t

9. In a convertible chair, the combination with a seat, of a back hinged thereto and movable downward into the plane of the seat, folding legs carried by the bark at its upper part, and braces connecting said legs with the side members of the back and arranged to hold the folding legs alongside said members.

10. ln a eonvertible chair, the combination with a seat, of a back hinged thereto and movable downward into the plane of the seat, said. back being eon'iposed of a main frame having side members and an extensible frame, and folding legs carried by the side members of the hack and by the extensible frame.

In testimony whereof I. allix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ALVONT (l. SllAlV. lVitnesses A. W. Swnnenn, G. W. IIEPLER. 

